WWE SmackDown Live Results, Highlights, and Grades for March 19, 2019

Daniel Bryan addresses Kofi Kingston before the gauntlet

Before we got to see Kofi Kingston start tonight’s much-anticipated gauntlet match, we heard from WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. The champ claimed that, despite comparisons to Bryan having been held down by The Authority in the past, Kofi Kingston wasn’t in that situation. Bryan explained that Kingston had been hand-picked to replace Mustafa Ali in the Elimination Chamber, being given an opportunity he didn’t deserve.

The crowd wasn’t buying into it, but that didn’t phase Bryan. Last week Vince McMahon claimed that Daniel Bryan had called Kofi Kingston a “B-Plus Player.” This week, we heard it directly from the WWE Champion’s mouth. Bryan called Kingston a “B-Plus Player” while also stressing that Bryan himself isn’t that. After airing his grievances, it was time for the gauntlet to finally begin.

Grade: B+, A fitting grade for a quality promo by Daniel Bryan. There wasn’t really anything wrong with this, but it was hard not to spend the entire promo wanting Kofi Kingston to come out and face the gauntlet already.

Gauntlet Match: Kofi Kingston vs. Sheamus, Cesaro, Samoa Joe, Randy Orton, and Rowan

As WWE SmackDown entered the halfway point, it was finally time for the match we’d all been anxiously awaiting. Kofi Kingston made his way to the ring, The New Day having to leave him to fight alone as they’d been barred from ringside. Things got started with Kingston competing against Sheamus of The Bar, and we saw the classic agility and veteran instincts from Kingston right from the start.

Kingston tried to keep that momentum going, but it didn’t take long for Sheamus to assert his power. After going to the outside, Kofi Kingston hit an effortless dive to take down one-half of The Bar. He was rolling, but a well-timed moment of interference from Cesaro really changed the tide.

The referee was distracted long enough for Cesaro to nail Kingston with a stiff uppercut that helped Sheamus dictate the pace as things went to a commercial break. Once back, Kofi Kingston began fighting back and really started to turn the tides. A series of strikes led to an attempt at Trouble in Paradise, but Sheamus managed to block it and go for the Cloverleaf.

Kingston also slipped out of that, later hitting a huge springboard moonsault cross body, but a distraction at ringside by Cesaro allowed Sheamus to guillotine Kingston on the ropes and regain some control. He locked on the Cloverleaf and looked to wear down Kingston, definitely not a moment that looked good for a man with four opponents left after Sheamus.

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Despite the struggles, Kingston fought out of it and even turned the Cloverleaf into a roll-up that nearly ended things. He endured a stiff running knee by Sheamus before dodging a Brogue Kick and following a roll-up with a sudden Trouble in Paradise to pick up his first win of the night and advance to stage two of the gauntlet.

Next up, we saw Kofi Kingston go toe to toe with Cesaro. There was much less of a feeling out process here, as Kingston was clearly feeling the damage already dealt by Sheamus in the match. Cesaro went on offense right away with brutal submissions and strikes to wear down Kofi Kingston at every turn.

Kingston kept fighting through it, getting some brief comebacks only to feel more offense from the Swiss Cyborg. Cesaro sent Kofi flying with the swing before locking in the same Cloverleaf that Sheamus applied earlier in the night, continuing to damage the back and legs of Kofi Kingston. We weren’t about to see things end just yet, as Kofi Kingston used everything within him to slip out of the maneuver.

Kingston appeared successful for a moment, but Cesaro turned the counter into a devastating fisherman buster on Kingston that continued to put a damper on the chances that #KofiMania could finally come to fruition. Cesaro looked to end things with a Neutralyzer, but Kingston countered and nailed SOS to pin Cesaro and advance to stage three of the gauntlet…Rowan.

Rowan started his moment in the gauntlet with some stiff power in the ring, but it didn’t take long for things to break down entirely. The action spilled to the outside where Rowan sent Kingston into the barricade. He then grabbed a steel chair and willingly got disqualified after destroying Kingston with a brutal chair shot.

Rowan’s actions weren’t done there, as he followed it up by putting Kingston through the announce table with The Iron Claw. Things then went from bad to worse, because Kingston had advanced to stage four, but the man guarding that next-to-last stage was United States Champion Samoa Joe.

SmackDown came back from commercial where Samoa Joe was firmly in control, arrogantly damaging Kofi Kingston at every turn with his usual brand of brutality. Kingston tried to mount a comeback, but a stiff enziguri looked to knock Kingston into a lifeless mess. Somehow, he still managed to kick out, but that only meant Joe’s assault could continue.

Samoa Joe hit a brutal clothesline only a few minutes later, but Kingston somehow still kicked out. At this point, Kofi Kingston’s endurance and unwillingness to quit really started to show up. Joe went for a Coquina Clutch, but Kingston managed to counter the move. He tried to mount some offense only to eat a stiff uranage from the United States Champion.

Samoa Joe looked to finish things off with the Muscle Buster, but Kofi Kingston rolled out of it and got Samoa Joe into a roll-up to suddenly garner a pinfall! Kofi Kingston advanced to the final stage to face Randy Orton, but Samoa Joe wasn’t done. Instead, the United States Champion locked Kingston in the Coquina Clutch and put him to sleep before leaving Kingston in a heap to face his final opponent.

As things came back from commercial, Randy Orton was firmly in control on the outside and even called Kingston “stupid” before trying to send him into the steel steps. Kingston countered it, sending Orton into them, but The Viper went back on offense after getting back into the ring. He turned to precision strikes, going after the legs of Kofi Kingston with every stomp.

Randy Orton continued to wear down Kingston with a headlock, wrenching on his neck and dealing continuous damage to the heavily weakened Kingston. We saw Kofi try to fight out of it, but Orton looked to end things as he suddenly went for an RKO. Kofi countered it, nailing Trouble in Paradise, but Orton rolled out of the ring before he could pick up the pinfall to go to WrestleMania 35.

After another commercial break, we came back to Kofi Kingston on the top turnbuckle receiving a series of punches from The Viper. Orton went for a superplex, but Kingston fought out of it and came flying off with a huge crossbody. Orton rolled it into a pin attempt, but Kofi kicked out. Orton nailed the rope-hung DDT and looked to hit and RKO to end Kofi Kingston’s dreams and put down #KofiMania once and for all.

Kofi Kingston used the ropes to struggle to his feet, turning into an RKO attempt and suddenly rolling Randy Orton up with a school-boy for the count of three! Kofi Kingston pinned Orton and successfully ran the gauntlet of five superstars, punching his ticket to face Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35!

As The New Day celebrated with Kingston after the match, Vince McMahon made his way out onto the ramp after the match and congratulated Kofi Kingston. Mr. McMahon stated Kofi Kingston is going to WrestleMania as long as he can beat this one last opponent. WWE Champion Daniel Bryan made his way onto the ramp as Kingston’s final opponent, and The New Day was forced to head backstage.

The bell rang for the final match, and Daniel Bryan immediately went on offense with a series of kicks to the clearly exhausted Kofi Kingston. Despite over fifty minutes in the gauntlet, Kingston fought back and tried to overcome the odds again, but received more strikes from Bryan in return. Bryan then sent Kingston crashing off the turnbuckle with a belly-to-back superplex before slapping on The LeBell Lock.

Kingston managed to get his foot on the bottom rope, somehow still fighting out and keeping his hopes alive. Bryan hit even more kicks, going for a huge one which Kingston ducked. Kofi nailed SOS and looked to pull off the upset, but Bryan still kicked out. After fending off a few more pinfall attempts, Daniel Bryan hit the running knee and unfortunately pinned Kofi Kingston and crushed #KofiMania to the disdain of The New Day and every fan in attendance.

Grade: A++, I am furious about the way things ended, which means they did their jobs. Kofi’s performance was amazing, and somehow kept every superstar he defeated looking dominant and strong. This isn’t over, and #KofiMania will happen whether Vince wants it or not.

WWE SmackDown Gut Reactions

• The Miz has gone from one of the most despised men in wrestling to one of the most respected and beloved superstars in the company. That’s no small feat.
• That cheating win to earn a future title shot was IICONIC!
• Dominic dwarfs his dad…maybe Eddie really was his papi?
• Where is Sami Zayn?!
• Becky Lynch has a stiff jab like no one else in WWE right now.
• Daniel Bryan constantly calling Kofi Kingston a “B-Plus Player” is some of the best full-circle storytelling WWE has seen in a long time.
• I freaking loved seeing the SmackDown locker room watching and cheering on Kofi Kingston.
• I’m still reeling from Kofi running the gauntlet only to be screwed yet again. #KofiMania refuses to die. It’ll happen. Somehow.

WWE SmackDown Segment Recap

• The Miz responded to Shane McMahon’s actions at WWE Fastlane and their impending match at WrestleMania 35.
• Rey Mysterio was interviewed backstage and will face Samoa Joe for the US Title at WrestleMania with Rey’s son Dominic at ringside cheering his dad on.
• AJ Styles was interviewed backstage about his upcoming match with Randy Orton, vowing to “tear the house down” at WrestleMania.
• Daniel Bryan cried about the “injustice” of Kofi Kingston’s opportunity tonight and called him a “B-Plus Player”.
• Most of the SmackDown locker room watched Kofi Kingston’s gauntlet match from backstage.
• Vince McMahon congratulated Kofi Kingston on running the gauntlet, but said he could only go to WrestleMania if he could also beat WWE Champion Daniel Bryan tonight.

WWE SmackDown Match Results

• The IIconics def. The Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection
• Kofi Kingson def. Randy Orton, Samoa Joe, Cesaro, Sheamus, and Rowan in a Gauntlet Match
• Daniel Bryan def. Kofi Kingston

Thank you for joining us for live coverage of this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown! We’ll have live coverage again next week as the Road to WrestleMania continues!